Burn the City
by Kensley-Jackson
Summary: A series of pieces written for a fic challenge comm. All pairings & ratings are fair game but mainly Chuck/Blair M stuff.
1. A New Serena

Last chapter of I'm Just Trying to Save You is on it's way, I promise! This is a Blair/Jenny fic set after 1x03. Enjoy!

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The New Serena

"You know, I think I may have underestimated your taste" Blair says as she takes in the strapless canary yellow dress Jenny chose to try on.

They're in the midst of having an experimental girls night in-experimental in the way that Blair isn't sure if she can tolerate Jenny's meek personality alone without additional entertainment for an entire night.

Normally, Blair would have preferred Serena's company over any of her other girlfriends hands-down and without question. But despite the progress they have made since her untimely return back to the UES, things between the former BFFs are still shaky at best.

And so, in the hopes of turning over a new leaf, Blair extended an invitation to her newest doll Jenny Humphrey to spend the night at her penthouse to try on clothes from her mother's newest Spring collection.

The night was designed by Blair to give Little J a chance to prove to her that she belongs in the social circle that she has worked so very hard to rule. It was make it or break it time for the Brooklyn girl.

"Despite the frumpy clothes you usually choose to wear, you can actually pull off this dress off quite nicely" Blair continues, assessing the girl's look from head to toe "You may do okay for yourself after all."

Jenny looks at herself in the mirror just behind Blair and desperately tries to see what she sees.

"You really think it looks okay?" she asks the brunette as she shifts her weight from foot to foot.

"Better than" Blair tells her "Hell, at this rate I can make you the new Serena by midterms."

Jenny's thin eyebrows raise at this statement.

"The new Serena?" she asks, glancing at her reflection once more "Won't the old one mind being replaced?"

At this, Blair smiles a smile that chills Jenny to the bone.

"Honey, the old Serena isn't going anywhere. She's a permanent fixture in this city, even when she spends the summer slumming it in Connecticut-she's never actually gone. You can try to replace her, but you won't succeed" Blair says.

Jenny's eyes go wide when she hears this.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that-I, I would never..." she stammers.

"Exactly, not ever" Blair continues, moving a step closer to cup her hand around Jenny's face "You may have a pretty face, Little J, but you can never shine as bright as her-none of us can. Hell, I could set this whole city on fire and Serena would still burn the brightest."

And for a split second, Jenny can see it-the image Blair has painted for her. There among the ash of the great city than once was, she can envision Serena standing as tall as the Statue of Liberty.

Invincible with beauty never fading.

Jenny notices that tears have started to well up in Blair's eyes. She realizes in that moment that this conversation was never really about her.

"Blair, are you okay?" she asks, genuinely concerned.

But Blair, despite her sad eyes, simply smiles the pain away as she lowers her hand from Jenny's face.

"You like Nate, don't you?" Blair asks without a hint of malice in her voice "I've seen the way you look at him."

Jenny doesn't expect her to say this and immediately looks down at her feet.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not...I'm not worried anymore. At first I thought you might be a threat, because you're blonde and beautiful and have legs for days...but then I realized that those things have nothing to do with why Nate cheated on me" Blair explains.

Jenny's eyes snap back up to Blair's, so shocked her mouth falls open a little.

"I know now" Blair continues "...he didn't fuck Serena on a barstool because she was my best friend or because she looks like a supermodel, he did it because he's a moth and she's the flame. She's the light no one ever fails to see-not even if the whole world around them was on fire. She will always shine the brightest, don't you see that?"

Before Jenny has a chance to answer, Blair leans forward and kisses her on the mouth softly.

It's over so quick that Jenny isn't sure if her lips even moved from the innocent pout they are always set in.

The next thing she knows, Blair has her back turned to her and is already in search of her next outfit.

"When I said I can make you the new Serena, I simply meant that I can make you likable. I can make the boys want you and the girls want to be you. I can take you to all the good parties, dress you in all the best clothes and show you how I run this town. By my side, no one will ever push you around or underestimate your worth ever again" she explains in her normal clipped tone.

Blair then turns around holds out a satin plum-colored dress to Jenny with a smile.

"But be warned-if you ever try to steal my boyfriend or my crown, I will be sure to perform social sabotage at your expense so horrific it will make outing Serena's faux stint in rehab to Ivy reps seem like child's play" she concludes.

"Any questions?" Blair asks.

Jenny swallows her spit before answering.

"Do you have a headband to match this dress?" she asks nervously.

Blair nods before taking her hand and leading her upstairs.

FIN.


	2. The Fire Below

This one is about Blair post 1x02 & alludes to Nate/Blair & Nate/Serena.

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**The Fire Below**

Some men are prone to fall asleep after sex. Nate Archibald, however, is the type of man who falls asleep before there is any sex to be had.

Right now, he's asleep on her bed, laying directly behind her-and she knows the second he loses consciousness because she can hear his breathing even out so peacefully...

After the party, he said they needed to talk. But this alleged "talk" turned out to be just him speaking to her and no actual conversing. So like a petulant, broken child with her back to her disciplinarian, Blair remained quiet as Nate presented her with an ultimatum.

What he was saying-the actual words that came out of his mouth-have the power to effectively end everything they've worked for these past few years in an instant.

The kicker is that Nate doesn't beg for forgiveness or tell her he loves her. He doesn't offer to kiss her feet in exchange for sleeping with her best friend. He doesn't swear he won't do it again or even admit what he did was wrong.

Instead, he puts a hand on her shoulder (which is practically second base for them) and she instinctively reaches back and squeezes.

This is how their relationship has always worked-Nate gives a little and Blair reacts without thinking it through. She latches on to any ounce of affection or attention he gives her because she wants him for keeps.

She wants Nate to fight for her. To make a fucking effort. To not sleep with her best friend when all she gets is a hand on her shoulder.

She doesn't want to lie awake contemplating her options-the fate of their relationship weighing heavy in her small hands-while her boyfriend snores behind her without a care in the world.

That doesn't seem like too much to ask for.

She can't comprehend his ability to sleep, because right now her world is up in flames-literally. There's an inferno lit through out her whole body made up of rage and hatred and embarrassment and sexual frustration that's all bundled up nicely in a virginal, floral straight-jacket.

But the truth of the matter is that Blair Waldorf is sick of being so damn nice and agreeable.

Quite frankly, she's tired of it-because the hotter the fire burns inside of her, the colder her skin feels to the touch and she doesn't know what that means. Blair is so tired of not knowing what that means. At any moment, she feels like she might combust or implode or liquidate from the inside out because the emotions she's experiencing are running so high.

And it fucking burns; it hurts so much.

But on the outside, her eyes remain cold. Like a metal chastity belt, like armor.

Nate may have given her a choice, but they already know what her answer will be.

It's the same reason Blair can't sleep, while Nate gently slumbers.

_Nothing has changed._

FIN.


	3. Convince Me

This challenge was "maybe I wanna do what bunnies do with you, if you know what I mean" & I wrote three :) All are rated M. This one is Chuck/Blair, enjoy!

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**Convince Me**

"Chuck" she says softly against his lips.

"Mhm."

The noise rumbles in the back of his throat and Blair can feel the vibrations with the hands she has wrapped around his neck. She thinks the sound is sexy (she thinks every sound he makes when they're together like this is sexy) and she wish she could just shut up and kiss him, but of course she can't tonight.

With some difficulty, she pulls back just enough to rest her forehead against his.

"Why are you undressing me?" she asks as she feels the spaghetti strap of her dress being dragged down her shoulder.

His eyes still closed, Chuck smirks as he continues to pull the strap down.

"Because I like you naked" he tells her. To prove his point, he lowers his head to drop a quick kiss on her bare shoulder.

Blair lets out a tiny laugh.

"And I like that you like me naked, but we really can't do this right now" she says.

"Why not?" Chuck asks as he pulls the other strap down "We've done it before."

Soon the top of her dress is pooled around her waist with the straps still hooked around her elbows. He leans back in the seat so he can feast his eyes on the lacy cream colored strapless bra she's wearing.

"And this seems to be going well" he says, lowering his head to kiss the swell of her left breast and then the other.

Blair closes her eyes and tries to remain focused. She moves her hands to the front of his chest and rubs the fabric of his shirt affectionately before pushing him back.

"Because" she says, cupping his face in her hands "Serena has worked very hard to put together this Holiday party together for our friends who are all upstairs waiting for us to arrive. Separately."

Smirking, Chuck leans in to nuzzle her neck before moving up to bite her ear lobe gently.

"I would prefer for us to iarrive/itogether, both at the party and in this limo" he rasps against her ear. He presses his nose into her hair and inhales her honey-sweet shampoo.

Blair quivers under his administrations.

"But if we do, then our friends will know that we've been secretly humping like bunnies behind their backs" She says as she moves her hands into his dark hair to hold him close (It's a hypocritical move, sure, but she's only human).

"I'd like to think I have more finesse than a bunny" Chuck tells her as he moved his head to the valley of her breasts.

Blair smiles and drops of kiss on top of his head.

"That's not the point. Our friends don't know about us and if we show up together, they may get suspicious" she says "And we don't want that, do we?"

"Maybe not" Chuck says, drawing small circles on her hips with his thumbs "but maybe if they did know, that wouldn't be so bad either."

Chuck lifts his head to look at her. He's fairly sure the inner conflict mapped out on her face matches his.

"And maybe someday they will" Blair tells him "but for now, I like having you all to myself. I like sharing a secret that only we know."

Chuck smiles at this.

"It iis/i a good secret, isn't it?" he asks.

"It's the best" she says, reciprocating his smile as she runs her fingertips over his jawline.

Chuck tilts his head up to brush his lips over hers. When Blair responds eagerly with a little moan, he hoists her body up so that she's straddling his lap even more than before. He knows he has her right where he wants her when she presses herself intimately against him.

Chuck lowers his hands to cup her bottom, holding her in place as he pulls back for air.

"I'm willing to make a compromise" he says in a low, raspy voice that never fails to speed up her heartbeat "We can go up ithere/i separately, but only if I can have you ihere/i first."

Blair purses her lips as if she is actually considering turning him down.

"I guess it depends...what's in it for me?" she asks.

"Well for starters there's..." he begins before giving her an open mouth kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips as he does so.

"Mhm" Blair sighs when he pulls back, wrapping her arms around his neck "I like that. What else?"

Chuck smirks as he reaches behind her to unsnap her bra. Once it's unhooked, he throws it on the floor of the limo unceremoniously.

"There's this" he says, lowering his mouth to her bare breasts and teasing them with his tongue.

"I like that too" Blair whispers, eyes closed "but I'm still not entirely convinced."

"Hmm" Chuck muses against her breasts "How about this then?"

He moves one hand underneath her dress and moves her panties aside with his determined fingers.

He lifts his head to look at her and chuckles at what he finds.

"You ifeel/i pretty convinced to me, Waldorf" he tells her as he runs his fingers over her wet folds.

"Shut up and..." Blair begins before sucking in a breath. Her protest turns into a whimper when Chuck slides two fingers inside of her.

When she starts to move her hips up and down, rocking against his hand, Chuck is in awe of the sight before him.

And when she reaches between them to undo his belt, he could swear he was in love.

In the space of a minute, Blair was pulling him out of his pants and he was guiding her into place above him.

"Are you convinced yet?" he asks, one thrust of his hips away from being sheathed inside of her.

"Just shut up and do me, Bass" she says before sinking down on top of him.

"Christ, you're the perfect woman" he tells her with a groan.

The second she hears those words she knows he's just trying to make her laugh (and he succeeds) because God knows those are words neither of them ever expected her to say. But joking aside, there's something about the way he says the word "perfect" that causes her speed up her actions-to rock faster, to slam harder, to moan louder-in a way she never has before.

And for the first time in his life, Chuck is just sort of along for the ride. He holds her hips in place and pants hard against her body and watches her ride him through half open eyelids. He mutters the words "fuck" and "don't stop" and "Blair" over and over again like they're the only words he knows.

Within minutes, her frantic, unabashed movements are nearly sending both of them over the edge.

"Tell me again, Chuck" she whispers against his face, their foreheads touching "Please, tell me again."

And somehow, he just knows.

"You're fucking perfect" he grunts the second he begins to come, the second she slams her hips down one last time and squeezes him like a vice.

Blair's cries fill the limo as her orgasm lasts almost an impossibly long time. Finally, she collapses on top of him and Chuck immediately wraps his arms around her-holding her close.

They stay like that for the next few minutes until the sounds of their respective cell phone rings interrupt their peaceful breathing.

Begrudgingly, Blair climbs off of Chuck and retrieves her phone from her purse while he pulls his from his coat pocket.

"Serena" Blair says by way of explanation.

"Yeah me too" Chuck says after a moment, but Blair's almost certain his text message is actually from his best friend and not hers.

Wordlessly, she retrieves her bra and puts it on before fixing her dress. Chuck cleans himself off with a tissue before tucking himself back in his pants.

After running her fingers through her hair and reapplying her lipstick, Blair turns her attention back to him.

"Do I have sex hair?" she asks.

Chuck smiles.

"A month ago, you didn't even know what that meant" he says.

Blair smacks him in a playful manner.

"Do I?" she asks again.

Chuck looks at her seriously before tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. He holds his hand against her face a moment longer than necessary.

"No" he says.

"Good" Blair says before reaching for her coat.

Chuck takes it from her and helps her put it on.

"I'll go up first, you wait five minutes and then come up, okay?" she asks him as she opens the door and slides away from him..

"Sounds good" Chuck says, leaning back into the seat and watching her leave.

"Oh, and Chuck?" she says, turning back to face him.

"Yeah?" he asks.

Blair slides back over and kisses him passionately.

"Thanks for convincing me" she says with a shy smile.

"It was my pleasure, Waldorf" Chuck says, bringing her knuckles to his lips and kissing them.

With that, Blair shuts the door and struts her way over to building. Right before she goes inside, she glances at the limo over her shoulder and blows him a kiss.

And from behind the tinted glass, Chuck Bass is grinning from ear to ear.

FIN.


	4. Going Down the BunnyHole

This is a Dan/Nate one. I think they'd be a cute couple, I can't help it :)

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**Going Down the Bunny Hole**

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Lewis Carroll is a brilliant author and_ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ is an obvious classic...I just can't over the 'it was all a dream' ending, it totally defeats the purpose of all the stuff that came before. You know what I mean?" Dan rambles from across the table.

Meanwhile Nate is sitting on the other side, gaping at Dan as it takes him way too long to answer what he thought was a simple question.

It all begins with the fact that Nate hates studying and loves procrastinating. So one afternoon when the two of them are at a cafe by NYU, Nate asks Dan if he wants to go see _Alice in Wonderland_ at the cinema with him (cause the blonde girl is cute & he knows the two of them like cute blondes).

This turns into Dan explaining that he hates to see movie adaptations of classic novels, which leads to Nate being utterly confused in discovering that a book even exists.

And when Nate makes the mistake of asking "Is the book any good?" Dan presents him with a long-winded, almost-answer that makes him wish he could find a way to shut him up.

And then a thought comes to him. He wonders how Dan would react to...

"Nate, are you listening?" Dan asks.

"Huh?" Nate says "Oh yeah, definitely a classic."

Nate then takes his chair and slides it around the table so that he's sitting right next to Dan.

"So tell me more about this book" he says.

"Uhh" Dan begins, looking at Nate peculiarly "Sure...well I guess my favorite part would have to be when Alice encounters the Mad Hatter-"

"Oh, that's Johnny Depp right?" Nate asks, moving his left hand from the table down to his own lap.

"Yeah, exactly" Dan says.

"Why's he so angry?" Nate asks. This time, he moves his hand to the place where their two seats are touching.

Dan laughs at his friend's naivety.

"Well, it's not that he's angry, he's 'mad' meaning he's insane" Dan explains "and the history behind it is actually really cool because hat-makers used to use mercury to..."

And suddenly Nate has taken Dan's hand and placed it on his thigh.

"Wha? Um, what are you doing?" Dan sputters.

"Shh, don't cause a scene, buddy" Nate tells him, looking around to see if anyone notices them. When the coast is clear, Nate places his hand on Dan's thigh and begins to rub it.

"What are you doing?" Dan asks quietly, his face suddenly bright red as he realizes that his body is reacting in a way in shouldn't (he also realizes he should pull his own hand away, but it feels as if his hand has been superglued to his friend's thigh).

"Just going down the bunny hole" Nate tells him as he moves his hand over Dan's jean-clad crotch.

"Rabbit" Dan corrects, sucking in a breath "It's a rabbit hole."

"Same diff" Nate says. He continues to rub Dan down in the middle of the cafe, with seemingly no cares in the world.

Meanwhile Dan is caught somewhere between being mortified, confused and turned on. In some ways, this sounds like just another day in the life of Dan Humphrey, but in others it's very, very different.

"Nate" he says quietly.

"Yeah buddy?" Nate asks in the same hushed tone as he continues to simulate a hand job on his friend.

"Um" Dan says, before sliding his hand over to Nate's crotch and cupping him "I might do this wrong."

Nate smiles as his eyes flutter close for a moment.

"That's the beauty of this, you really _can't _do it wrong" he tells him.

"Okay" Dan says, not entirely convinced.

And since he doesn't know how to proceed, Dan starts to mimic everything he feels Nate doing to him. When Nate squeezes, Dan squeezes; when Nate rubs, Dan rubs; when Nate's fingers inch down lower to just...that...spot, you can bet that Dan reciprocates.

"What, um, happens at the end?" Dan asks, his voice straining to sound calm.

Nate laughs shakily.

"The same thing that always happens. Just, you know, in your jeans instead of a tissue" he says.

"Right" Dan whispers.

"Any second now" Nate tells him, increasing his speed.

"Yeah-yeah me too" Dan pants.

"Whatever you do, don't attract attention" Nate says.

Dan nods.

"Okay, okay, okay" he chants.

"Just relax" Nate says.

With that, Dan puts a hand over his mouth and feigns a loud yawn as he finds his release.

Nate follows the clearing of his throat as he slides his chair in to stifle the sound.

Dan pulls his hand away, stunned, and finds relief in Nate doing the same.

"Uh, so, yeah" Dan says after a moment "I think I'm gonna hit the bathroom."

"Oh cool, I'll come with you" Nate says.

Dan shoots him a look.

"You will?" Dan asks.

"Yeah and after we can go see that movie. It should be abandoned at this time of day anyways" Nate says, strategically standing up with his book bag in front of his crotch.

Dan thinks about being in a dark, abandoned theater with Nate after what just transpired between them and calculates the probabilities of something like _that _happening again.

He decides that the probability is quite high and to his utter shock, he's not as freaked out as he thinks he would be.

"So you coming?" Nate calls over his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah I'm com...you suck, man" Dan tells him.

Nate's laughs can be heard through out the whole cafe.

FIN.


	5. In Public

Carter/Serena. New pairing I really love.

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In Public

Walking hand in hand in public with Carter Baizen was not a reality Serena ever imagined for herself.

She was used to the Carter she met when she was a freshman in high school-the Carter that winked at her from across a crowded hallway while surrounded by a flock girls. The Carter that seduced her in abandoned classrooms and stole kisses from her when they both knew no one would catch them.

He was a player, through and through. Not in the creepy Chuck-Bass-women-are-disposable kind of way, but in a popular, good-looking athlete who couldn't be tied down to the same girl kind of way.

That was then.

But the Carter with her now? He was a straight-up PDA man. He took her hand in his everywhere they went, never hesitated to put a hand around her waist when they stopped to look in a store window, and constantly surprised her with passionate kisses in the middle of the sidewalk on a busy street.

"What has gotten into you today?" Serena asked, giggling as she scrunched her nose up at him "It's like you can't keep your hands off me of."

He smiled at her, tangled his hand in her blonde hair and dragged her mouth to his for another kiss.

"Since when could I ever keep my hands off of you, van der Woodsen?" Carter asked her.

"Hmm, good point" Serena said as she bit down on her lip "Not that I'm complaining, but people are starting to stare."

Carter pulled away and looked over his shoulder momentarily before turning back to her.

"Well maybe we should give them a show, then" he said softly, his voice loaded in sexual innuendo.

Serena feigned shock before leaning in close.

"Carter Baizen, I never pegged you as an exhibitionist" she told him.

"You never asked" he said, kissing her behind her ear "C'mon Serena, I wanna do what bunnies do with you, if you know what I mean."

Serena closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"Well in that case" she began, glancing over her shoulder "I may have an idea."

Taking his hand in hers, Serena walked them down the alley between two stores and pushed him up against the wall.

"Now we can have some privacy, while still satiating your exhibitionist needs" she teased, leaning in to kiss him.

Carter's hands went immediately to the fixtures of Serena's shorts.

"Not so fast" she said against her mouth "You first."

With that, she fell to her knees.

"Keep a look out and make sure we don't get arrested" she told him as she pulled his khakis down.

"Pretty sure bunnies don't do this sort of thing" he smirked, looking down at her.

"It's a good thing we're people then, isn't it?" Serena said, winking as she rid him of his boxers and began stroking him in earnest.

"It would be pretty hard to do this without opposable thumbs" she continued "or this."

She took him into her mouth and sucked him long and hard.

Meanwhile Carter's head switched back and forth from the end of the alley where someone was sure to walk by and the top of Serena's blonde head.

In truth, he was only half-joking about the exhibitionist thing. He wasn't big on labels, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't completely getting off on this semi-public blow job in record time.

It also didn't help that Serena gave head like a pro.

No, better than a pro because it was clear she enjoyed doing it-she wasn't just going through the motions begrudgingly, and her enthusiasm for the job just made their sexual encounters that much hotter.

"Fuck, Serena" he panted, his hips rocking back and forth.

He pushed the hair away from her face so she could look up at him, smiling with her eyes as she did so.

"You are so pretty, you know that?" he asked, cupping her jaw in his hand.

She didn't have a chance to respond, however, because at that very moment two elderly women wielding shopping bags stopped directly in front of their alley. The women gasped indignantly when Carter made eye contact with his viewers and offered a small wave before turning his attention to Serena and proceeding to come.

"Oh yeah" he sighed, watching the women quickly scurry away from them.

Serena stood and wiped her mouth off.

"Oh my god, we have to get out of here" she told Carter, grabbing his hand in an attempt to leave.

"Not so fast, sunshine" he said, pulling her back and pushing her against the wall.

Without warning, he slid his hand down her shorts and began fingering her.

"We're gonna get arrested" Serena tried to complain, but her reasoning got caught in her throat.

"Then we better hurry up" Carter explains, moving his hand at an expert face "Just let go, I'm not gonna let anything happen to her, sweetheart."

She whispered his name against his face over and over, like a warning and a prayer wrapped into one.

She came fast, clutching his shoulders as her body convulsed.

"Okay, now we can go" Carter told her, dropping a kiss on her slack mouth before grabbing her hand and taking off down the street.

Old Carter or new, one thing was sure: he always knew how to rock Serena's world.


	6. Both a Little Scared, Neither One Prepar

This week's challenge was "today was a fairytale" & of course I had to write a Chair fic!

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_For who could ever learn to love a beast? -Beauty & The Beast Prologue_

This is the story of a beauty, but a funny girl named Blair Waldorf.

Her beauty requires no explanation of course, but you may be confused as to why the townspeople of Manhattan always thought this girl to be somewhat peculiar.

You see, for most of her youth Blair spent her time locked away in her room with her eyes glued to a screen-watching old Hollywood film after old Hollywood film and getting effectively lost in the promise of finding love in unexpected places.

As it was, tales of traditional love in their traditional society bored Blair to death because each courtship she had in her short life only served to remind her that there was something missing-an adventure, a challenge, a chance at something greater than a life that was merely expected of her.

She went to school along lacrosse-stick wielding Gastons who would often taunt Blair about her impending future of being bedded and wedded to one of them. They offered her dates and flowers and jewels, but she refused them all.

_Madam Gaston, can't you just see it? Madam Gaston, his little wife?_

And while she would always smile politely to their faces, once her back was turned she would roll her eyes in disgust and shiver involuntarily.

_No sir, not me, I guarantee it. I want much more than this provincial life. _

Then again, that's the funny thing about life-sometimes when you least expect it, life takes that unexpected turn you don't see coming even when your eyes are wide open.

And so, Blair befriended the Beast because she refused to be afraid of him like everyone else. She had no way of knowing at the time about the curse that plagued the young man or the incredible power that lay hidden within her heart that would one day break his curse and save his life.

The only time they fought was when she went into his bedroom without his permission and discovered a black and white photo of a beautiful woman with his eyes and lips. Upon finding her, the Beast kicked her out in a drunken rage and Blair stayed away from his castle for one week's time.

Other than that monetary indiscretion, Blair was pleasantly surprised to find out that her and the Beast had much in common and became great friends-to the point where she found herself spending most of her days with him in his Castle, away from the world where he felt most comfortable.

She had initially interpreted his greed for her company as a response to his inherent loneliness and nothing more. It wasn't until later when she realized how lonely she was too.

Another factor she never considered was how his constant proximity would effect her own heart so severely. Slowly but surely she began to see the Beast not as just a friend, but as someone that she could love. Perhaps she already did.

Soon their relationship became a sort of tug of war. The Beast interpreted their friendship as a detriment to her youth and beauty. Though it pained him greatly, he encouraged her to spend more time in the light where he would be able to watch her from afar.

But Blair wasn't having it. From that point on, no matter how hard the Beast tried to push her away, Blair found that she simply could not deny her feelings any longer-even if the whole world thought he was a monster, she trusted what she felt in her heart.

So one day, she decided to do something about it.

"I love you" she professed, holding his face in her hands.

In that moment, the curse the Beast had been carrying-the one that told him he would only bring pain and suffering to those around him-was broken and he felt himself smile his first real smile.

Her heart soared when she saw the glow on his face.

"Do you love me?" Blair asked with happy tears in her eyes.

"Yes. Yes I love you" Chuck told her "I love you, I love you, I love you."

They shared a kiss then-the first but not that last of it's kind-knowing that whatever came next, the curse of loneliness had been broken for good.

The End.


	7. Day at the Museum

Nate/Vanessa. I really loved them while they lasted.

* * *

Today it's their two month anniversary, and while that may be nothing to sing about for most people, Vanessa and Nate prided themselves on being an unconventional couple.

Amongst high society scandals and teenaged billionaire brunches, they searched for the simplicity found in each other's company.

Candy from Dylan's, a picnic packed for two and freshly picked flowers were on tap for the day and nothing more.

No drama, no insecurities, just an easy, perfect day.

A fairytale, some may say.

That was the plan at least.

Things got off to a rough start when Nate brought Vanessa sunflowers without knowing how allergic she was. Through the sneezing, Vanessa told her she loved them but Nate insisted they toss them to put her out of her misery.

Then Vanessa tried to feed Nate a jelly bean but she ended up accidentally dropping the entire bag of candy on the ground of Central Park. Nate felt so bad he insisted on picking them up and eating them, but not even Vanessa could get over how disgusting that would be.

By the time they laid the blanket out on the grass perfectly, the clouds rolled in and it began to downpour on them and their lunch.

Hand in hand, they laughed their heads off as they ran all the way to the Met for safety, carefully crafted sandwiches forgotten on the now soggy grass.

The museum was air-conditioned, of course, so they shivered their way through the exhibits with their arms around each other.

They stole kisses near to the Grecian urns and whispered secrets amongst the Roman statues.

They had a make-up lunch in the cafeteria next to a young married couple and their three noisy children. The fries were cold but conversation was great. And so was the slice of chocolate cake they split.

Vanessa was drawn to Julia Margaret Cameron's hauntingly beautiful photography exhibit, while Nate was partial to anything mummified. They swung by the giftshop on their way out and Nate bought them sweatshirts featuring a painting by Van Gogh.

It was harder than you might think to hail a taxi during the rain, but under the shield of the ten dollar umbrella Nate got from a street vendor, it really wasn't so bad.

The second the taxi door was closed behind them, Vanessa let out a belly-laugh that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Nate looked over at her and when he realized what was so funny, his own dimples poked through as he chuckled.

"Best anniversary ever" she grinned, pressing her cold nose against his cheek.

"Oh definitely" Nate told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Old movies and hot coco at my place?" Vanessa asked.

"Sounds perfect" Nate said, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

Who needed fairytales anyways? Rain or shine, Team Dimples was here to stay.


	8. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Lily/Serena centric. Mentions of RL & DS.

* * *

**Like Mother, Like Daughter**

"Serena, where on earth do you think you're going?" Lily asked.

"Where do you think, mom? You totally set me up, I can't believe you" Serena told her with a scowl.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. I merely organized a brunch..." Lily began.

Serena turned around to face her mother.

"Yeah, a brunch filled with all the eligible bachelors in Manhattan...and me. I told you I'm with Dan now and I thought you were okay with that. But I guess you're just as conniving as Grandma, aren't you?" Serena said.

"How dare you-" Lily began.

"No mom, how dare you? You know how good Dan and I are together, you've seen it with your own two eyes-and you still have the nerve to lure me here under false pretenses? Is this a game to you?" Serena asked.

Lily took a cautious step forward and prayed her daughter wouldn't run away from her again.

"Of course not. I just wanted to show you that you still have options. You're still so young Serena, and young people make mistakes all the time" Lily explained.

Serena rolled her eyes.

"That's rich coming from you. You're the queen of mistakes mom. Three failed marriages? And now engaged to Bart Bass of all people as husband number four?" Serena exclaimed.

Watching her mother wince at her words, the younger van der Woodsen took a deep breath.

"Mom you told me once that letting Rufus go was one of your biggest regrets in life. Well, I am in love with Dan and I don't want to let him go. He could be the one, but I'll never know until I try. If you trust me, you'll let me make my own mistakes. And I'll promise to never repeat yours" Serena told her.

At that moment, Lily looked upon her daughter with more respect than she ever had before.

"Bart isn't a mistake" Lily said softly in her own defense.

"And neither is Dan" Serena said, her shoulders dropping as the fight left her body.

Lily nodded in understanding.

"Wait here, I'll go get our coats" Lily said as she turned around.

"Wait, we're leaving? What about your brunch?" Serena asked.

Lily looked over her shoulder.

"I have no desire to be my mother anymore than you do. Imagine the look of horror on her face when she gets word of you and I walking out of our own event" Lily said with a knowing smile.

A grin broke out across Serena's face as she watched her mother walk away.

"She'll be horrified" Serena called out in warning.

"We're van der Woodsen girls, why should she expect anything less?" Lily called over her shoulder.

Serena's laughter echoed across the marbled walls.

FIN.


	9. He Wishes, She Wishes

Nate/Serena.

* * *

He wishes, she wishes

At 1:23 pm, he wishes that Catherine was younger, even though he knows how cool it is to bag a Cougar.

At 12:07 am, she wishes things with Dan could either work out or just end.

At 5:45 am, he wishes Catherine's hair was blonder, that her face was softer.

At 6:01pm, she wishes Georgina never came back to the UES.

At 9:10 am, he wishes Chuck was in Europe with Blair instead of having threesomes with triplets. Mostly because he wants to brag about sleeping with Catherine, but knows he's not allowed.

At 1:17 pm, she wishes she had more friends in the Hamptons. Reading required too much solitude and concentration.

At 4:40 pm, he wishes he could do something to make Serena look less sad. He offers to hang out, but then Catherine calls. He wishes he could ignore it.

At 2:00 am, she wishes Nate would call off his affair with a married woman because she's married and he's her friend. No other reason.

At 3:00 am, he wishes Dan was falling in love with a new girl back in the city, because the guy deserves it after the year he's had. No other reason.

At 8:14 pm, she wishes she was in Europe with Blair, even though she has no desire to spend the summer watching her best friend moping around abroad-that's what her reflection is for.

At 3:37 pm, he wishes the NJBC was back together. He wishes they never fell apart. He blames Chuck and Blair; ignores the memory of champagne, spun gold and barstools.

At 2:21 pm, she wishes fake relationships were more fun, because not even her fake boyfriend seems to want to spend time with her.

At 7:07 pm, he wishes, when he almost get's hit by a car in nothing but his boxer shorts, that he's in the convertible with Serena instead (and fully clothed). It looks like more fun.

At 8:00 pm, she wishes lifeguards had more personality and less sun exposure. Blair would be ashamed of this guy's tan lines.

At 3:41 am, he wishes more girls were like Serena.

At 10:00 pm, she wishes more guys were like Nate.

At 11:06 am, he wishes that instead of punching his shoulder, she was grabbing his collar and pulling him closer.

At 11:07 am, she wishes he wasn't getting ready to leave again.

At 11:08 am, he wishes her lips weren't pursed in a silly frown.

At 11:09 am, she wishes to hold his interest, to be enough.

At 11:10 am, he wishes to kiss her, slowly and for a long time.

At 11:11 am, they both wish their relationship wasn't fake, though neither wish to admit this fact out loud.


	10. Make A Wish

Chuck/Nate. References CB. Won 2nd place for this challenge :)

* * *

Make a Wish

"C'mon man, you're telling me you don't wish-" Nate begins.

"I don't wish anything, Nathaniel. Wishing is for dreamers and dreaming is for virgins, neither of which I am" Chuck tells him with a forced grin, before taking a long sip of his ice coffee.

Nate smiles-not because his friend tells a joke but because he knows it isn't genuine.

"Dude, you told me yourself in an alcohol induced haze like two weeks ago that abandoning Blair was a mistake" Nate tells him.

Chuck shrugs.

"I was drunk, I didn't mean it" Chuck says, distracting himself with a random store's window dressing.

"Yeah, but drunk words are sober thoughts" Nate reasons.

He nudges Chuck with his shoulder, despite knowing he was dancing on thin ice. He can't help it-his best friend is love sick. Like, love sick with his ex-childhood sweetheart. It's weird and endearing and uncomfortable and entertaining all at the same time.

"I'm sorry, are you a walking bumper sticker or my best friend? I'm. fine" Chuck states slowly before walking past Nate.

Nate sighs and jogs after him.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry. It's just, c'mon man, you told me you love her at your dad's wedding. Hearing Chuck Bass say that isn't something I can just forget. And we both know you weren't drunk then, so don't pretend" he says.

"Loved. I said I...loved her. In a moment of pure desperation and weakness that will never be repeated" Chuck says before mumbling "Besides I don't even know what that word means" under his breath.

"Then...how do you explain the bouquet of yellow roses chilling on your bed?" Nate asks "Or the orange suit that you spent like...45 minutes staring at in the mirror last night before changing into a different outfit to go to the bar in?"

Chuck scowls.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about" Chuck says before taking a sip of his drink.

"Dude, drop the act. We were in the same room with Serena when she was on the phone with Blair last night. She knows she's taking the jitney, I know she's taking the jitney, and you sure as hell know it too" Nate tells him.

"Yes, okay fine. I'm going. But not to grovel, just to apologize" Chuck says.

"You say tomato..." Nate says under his breath.

"What?" his friend asked.

"Huh? Nothing, man. So you'll apologize, tell her you love you..." Nate tells him.

"Loved. And no, of course not. I'm just...I'm just going to say that...that..." Chuck trails.

Nate looks down at his watch.

"11:11 man. Better make a wish before it changes" Nate says.

Chuck narrows his eyes at his best friend.

"I told you I don't wish, Nathaniel" he says.

"Make an exception. Just this once. For Blair" Nate says as he whips a zippo lighter out of his pocket. He flips it open and holds the flame in front of Chuck's face.

"That's for birthdays" Chuck says.

"It's almost 11:12..." Nate says.

Chuck sighs.

"Fine" he says, looking at the flame for a moment before closing his eyes and blowing out the flame "Happy?"

Nate grins.

"Very. So what'd you wish for?" he asks.

"Fuck you" Chuck says, breezing by Nate who can't keep his smile to himself.


	11. What's My Name

**What's My Name** [Chuck/Blair Rated M]

* * *

"Touch me" she whispered as she dragged his hands from her hips down to her ass.

"No" he protested, despite his greedy hands kneading the flesh in his palms.

Blair moaned as she pressed her pelvis against his, the tension in her body overtaking her actions.

"God, Chuck" she mewed, tilting her head up to bite his lower lip "Please."

She reached between them and cupped him, squeezing him appreciatively as she felt him harden further.

"Promise I'll be quiet" she teased.

Chuck tried to fight off his obvious desire, knowing this was neither the time nor place. He shook his head, only faintly aware that his hands had begun to travel beneath her skirt.

_We broke up. We broke up. We broke up._

"It's been so long" she told him, cherry red lips pressed to his neck.

Chuck inhaled sharply, eyes closed.

"I know" he said, hands continuing to wander.

Two years. Two fucking years since he'd been inside her.

"Then why fight it?" She asked, bringing her face close to his.

Chuck opened his eyes.

"Because you told me you didn't love me anymore" he said.

A sadness fell over Blair's vixen smile. She shook it off quickly and went to unfasten his belt.

"When will you ever learn that every time I say that, it turns into the biggest lie I've ever told?"

She pulled his belt off and tossed it to the side before working on freeing him of his grey suit jacket.

"Nate and Serena are in the other room" he reasoned, his lips and teeth sampling her neck.

"Yes, celebrating news of an engagement which will only lead to a dull marriage void of passion-let's show them what they'll be missing out on" she whispered in his ear.

Next thing he knew, his jacket is gone and somehow, so is her sweater. The bottom of her skin-tight dress has found its way pushed up around her waist.

"Let's go back to my hotel room" Chuck suggested "Do this right."

He started to back away from the wall, but Blair forcefully shoved him back against it.

"No, here. Now. I need to feel you inside me" she said, kissing him with all the passion she felt in the pit of her stomach.

With a groan, Chuck spun them around.

He dropped to his knees.

As she felt her panties being pulled down her legs, Blair closed her eyes blissfully-thinking she might die from the anticipation of it all.

"Chuck" she whispered the moment his tongue touched her heat.

His hands clutched her knees instinctively, preventing them from buckling under his administrations just in time.

He could have brought her off within seconds, like he'd done so many times before-but this wasn't like before anymore. This was two years without her and he'd be damned if he was going to make her come before he was even inside her.

He abruptly stood up and turned Blair so that she faced the wall before she could even protest. She braced her hands against the wall and arched her back like she'd done a thousand times in the past.

Chuck pressed his forehead against the nape of her neck as he worked to free himself from his pants.

"You on the pill?"

"Yes" she told him.

"Thank god" he sighed, guiding himself to her opening "cause even if you weren't, I'd take the risk just to feel you completely."

Blair's nails clawed at the wallpaper, as she felt him start to fill her.

"Fuck me" she whispered when he was fully sheathed inside.

Chuck shook his head, burying his face into her hair.

"Not yet, that's not what you need" he told her, barely containing the trembling in his voice-every nerve fiber screamed for him to move himself inside her.

"The hell it's not!" Blair tried to protest, tried to move her own hips instead, but he held her steady in place.

"You said you wanted to feel me inside of you, so feel it" he rasped, making smooth love to her neck with his lips.

Breathing heavy, Blair closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensation.

"Feel me pulsing, throbbing inside you. Only for you. Ready to explode, just at the sensation of being inside you. Completely" he told her.

"Yes, yes" she whispered, squeezes her thigh muscles together and feeling herself contract around him "So deep."

Chuck's eyes crossed when he felt her muscles contract once, than twice more. He pushed himself a fraction of an inch deeper for good measure.

"Two years without this" he sighed, his hand starting a slow decent from her hip to in between her legs.

"Two years" she echoed, muscles still contracting "too fucking long."

"Blair" he whispered into her hair.

"Chuck" she responded just before his finger brushed against her aching clit.

She moaned hard as she came and collapsed against the wall reveling in the sweet release.

Chuck caught her around the waist, holding her close to him as he blissfully released himself inside of her. And as all the self-restraint from before slipped away, he found himself leaning against her for support as well.

"You forgot to be quiet" he told her, tucking himself back in and readjusting her skirt.

"Shh, I'm basking here" Blair said, resting her head back on his shoulder, eyes closed.

"If we moved to my hotel room like I said, we could be basking right now on egyptian silk sheets with a bottle of Dom Perignon" Chuck said.

Regretfully, he began to tuck himself back in his pants and work on fixing Blair's skirt.

"Why did we break up again?" she whispered.

"To keep life interesting, I guess" he said "And the sex."

Blair turned around, wrapped her arms around him.

"Two years is too long."

"I couldn't agree more" he said.

"The longest we've ever been apart" she said.

Chuck kissed her sweetly.

"So...your place?" Blair asked when he pulled back.

"Let's go get dinner first. We have more to catch up on than just sex" he said.

Blair raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you haven't been keeping tabs on my every move from afar?" she asked.

Chuck smiled, put his arm around her shoulder as he lead her to the door.

"Oh I have. But hearing it all from your perspective sounds a lot more interesting" he told her.

"How do you always manage to make stalking seem sweet instead of creepy?" she asked.

"I'm Chuck Bass."

Blair whacked him on the shoulder, causing Chuck to pull her in closer as they walked out the front door together.

FIN.


End file.
